Holger Lüking & Partner

What Holger Lüking & Partner does

Holger Lüking & Partner is a privately held executive search and Personalberatung firm headquartered in Bielefeld, Germany, founded in 2019 by Holger Lüking. The firm specializes in retained searches for supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat), advisory board (Beirat), management board (Geschäftsführung), and senior leadership positions, primarily serving German Mittelstand family businesses, private equity and Beteiligungsgesellschaften, and family offices. Its primary client base is concentrated in Ostwestfalen-Lippe — described in the firm's own positioning as the heartland of the German Mittelstand — with reach extending nationally and globally through an informal international consultant referral network.

The firm's core product is a four-phase executive search methodology (Identifizieren, Definieren, Präsentieren, Onboarden) delivered as project-based engagements with a stated two-month candidate-presentation timeline. The team comprises six internationally experienced professionals: the founder/owner, one partner (Sören Kapelski, a former CHRO/VP HR at Schaeffler, ZF, DMG Mori, and WAGO), two consultants (Annika Pohl and Dyrik Geuenich), an office manager, and one additional unprofiled member. Over 15 active mandates are visible on the firm's website across automotive, machinery, metalworking, FMCG, pharma, IT, chemicals, medtech, and finance. The firm explicitly rejects algorithmic matching in favor of personal judgment and relationship-based assessment, with no proprietary technology platform disclosed.

Commercially, the firm operates on a direct, partner-led sales motion — no resellers, marketplace presence, or self-service channels. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and engagements are quoted on a project-by-project retained search basis. Marketing is anchored on a professional website (lueking.de) and a LinkedIn company page, with growth driven primarily by personal referrals and long-term client relationships. The firm has no external investors, no parent company, and no subsidiaries.

Name

Holger Lüking & Partner

Legal name

Holger Lüking & Partner

Website

https://lueking.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Holger Lüking & Partner is a privately held Bielefeld-based executive search and Personalberatung firm founded in 2019, placing supervisory board, advisory board, management, and senior leadership candidates for German Mittelstand family businesses, private equity firms, and family offices through a four-phase methodology delivered by a six-person internationally experienced team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Search Services

NAICS

Executive Search Services (561312)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive & Leadership Direct Hire (BPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Executive search
• Personnel consulting
• Board recruitment
• Leadership placement
• Mittelstand consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Bielefeld

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Executive Search & Personalberatung: Retained executive search engagements for filling supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat/Beirat), management board (Geschäftsführung), and senior leadership positions. Engagements are project-based with a structured two-month delivery timeline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Holger Lüking & Partner is a Bielefeld-based executive search and personnel consulting firm that recruits and places supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat), advisory board (Beirat), management board (Geschäftsführung), and senior leadership candidates for German Mittelstand family businesses, private equity firms, and family offices. The firm delivers engagements through a structured four-stage methodology (Identify, Define, Present, Onboard) targeting a two-month timeline for presenting handpicked candidates.

Product overview

Holger Lüking & Partner is a specialized Executive Search and Personalberatung (recruitment consulting) firm operating from Bielefeld, Germany. The company offers a unified portfolio of executive recruitment services centered on Executive Search and Personalberatung, complemented by specialized modules for advisory board placement (Besetzung von Beiräten), executive management search, and leadership recruitment across multiple industries including automotive, machinery, metal, FMCG, pharma, IT/electronics, chemistry, medical technology, and finance. The core offering is delivered through a proprietary four-phase recruitment methodology framework (Identifizieren, Definieren, Präsentieren, Onboarden) designed to complete mandates within two months. Services target family businesses, Mittelstand companies, holding companies, and family offices with positions at supervisory/advisory board, executive management, and senior leadership levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Search & Personalberatung

Quantifiable outcome

• Candidate presentation within two months of project start
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Consultant Network (International)minorOthersHolger Lüking maintains a network of consulting colleagues in countries where German companies are present. This network enables the firm to support international executive search mandates and refer clients to trusted local partners when a mandate requires local expertise outside Germany.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Korn Ferry: Large global organizational consulting firm with a major executive search practice covering industrial and PE clients across Germany. Overlaps on retained senior and C-suite executive searches for industrial Mittelstand firms.
• Robert Half Deutschland: Large staffing and recruiting firm with executive search capabilities in Germany. While its core is permanent placement for professional roles, it overlaps with Holger Lücking & Partner on senior management searches and competes on price-sensitive mandates.
• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search firm with a particularly strong board practice. Competes head-to-head with Holger Lücking & Partner for supervisory-board, advisory-board and CEO search mandates for German Mittelstand companies and PE-backed businesses.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with strong presence in Germany. While it serves a much broader client base across industries and geographies, it directly competes for the same Mittelstand supervisory-board and Geschäftsführung mandates that Holger Lücking & Partner targets.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with active Board & CEO practices serving German industrial clients and PE portfolio companies. Overlaps with Holger Lücking & Partner on retained board and senior executive placements for family/PE-controlled businesses.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with established German practice focused on board, CEO and senior leadership searches. Directly competes for the same Mittelstand and PE/family-office leadership mandates.
• Odgers Berndtson: International executive search firm with a strong German Mittelstand client base and dedicated DACH offices. Competes for the same Beirat, Aufsichtsrat, and Geschäftsführungs mandates in family businesses and PE-controlled firms.

Direct peers

• Dr. Heimeier Executive Search: Mid-sized German executive search boutique serving Mittelstand, family businesses and PE firms on board and senior management appointments. Comparable headcount scale, regional DACH focus, and retained project delivery model.
• Baumann & Partner Executive Consultants: German retained executive search boutique with similar Mittelstand/family business focus and personal, relationship-led delivery model. Directly comparable in approach, customer segment, and project structure to Holger Lücking & Partner.
• HEADHUNTER Executive Search: German boutique executive search firm focused on senior management and board placements for Mittelstand and family businesses. Closely comparable to Holger Lücking & Partner in firm size, regional focus, and Mittelstand niche specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holger-l-king-partner

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holger Lüking & Partner